Apparatus for knitting designs in tubular fabrics and method



Dec. 13, 1955 5. J. HADDAD 2,726,525

APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 23, 1950 18 Sheets-Sheet l Ill l Saw/nib J #40040,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY S. J. HADDAD Dec. 13, 1955 APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD l8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 23

A3 J M90000,

INVENTOR.

S. J. HADDAD Dec. 13, 1955 APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD l8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 23, 1950 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 23, 1950 18 Sheets-Sheet 4 Q X a 23 N INVENTORZ 5410mm 1 M40040.

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TTORNEY S. J. HADDAD Dec. 13, 1955 APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 23, 1950 SAM/14 40 J #40000,

INVENTOR- ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 5. J. HADDAD 2,726,525

APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 23, 1950 18 Sheets-Sheet 6 SAM/MD J #40040,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY S J. HADDAD Dec. 13, 1955 APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD l8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Jan. 25, 1.950

will J #4004 5 410/0, 27) 0, INVENTOR- ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 s. J. HADDAD 2,726,525

APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 23, 1950 18 Sheets-Sheet 8 Mom?! J #40040.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY S. J. HADDAD Dec. 13, 1955 APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND-METHOD l8 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Jan. 23, 1950 5/21 omib J #40040,

IN VENTOR ATTORNEY S. J. HADDAD Dec. 13, 1955 l8 SheetsrSheet 10 Filed Jan. 25, 1950 N J Mm am Mm m u I f. J m

Nam 21 J J v \Qw w /Ifl|\ 5? F E21 d r 1 S. J. HADDAD Dec. 13, 1955 APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD l8 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed Jan. 23, 1950 INVENTOR: J/hnona.

ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 HADDAD 2,726,525

APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 23, 1950 18 Sheets-Sheet 13 23 334 330 INVENTOR' JAM/14 72 J #40000.

ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 s. .1. HADDAD 2,726,525

APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 23, 1950 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 Jaw/m0 J Havana, INVENTOR- 46 97 ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 5. J. HADDAD 2,726,525

APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 25, 1950 18 Sheets-Sheet l5 JAM/M5 J. #40000,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 5. J. HADDAD 2,726,525

APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBULAR FABRICS AND METHOD Filed Jan. 23, 1950 18 Sheets-Sheet l6 JAM/m0 J #00000,

INVENTOR.

BY @ML ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1955 5 AND METHOD N K W F 0 s5 2 T. m%. n m @I e l i F w J l nmy M/wyflaya w%%%%%%v %%v M AAA BUUUNW AU 5/11. olvmo (114440040,

1N VENTOR 0m N I m W ML m W M w WW 1 ,d N M x 1 Q 522? N United States Patent APPARATUS FOR KNITTING DESIGNS IN TUBU- LAR FABRICS AND METHOD Salomfio J. Haddad, Shrcwsbury, Mass., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Standard Hosiery Mills, Burlington, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application January 23, 1950, Serial No. 139,996

33 Claims. (Cl. 66-50) fabrics by introducing yarns of two or more different colors at points immediately adjacent each other to the needle circle and whereby these yarns may be introduced to the needles in such a manner as to be knitted on some of the needles simultaneously while being knitted on other of the needles independently, according to a desired pattern.

This invention is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No. 80,273, filed March 8, 1949, and entitled Apparatus for Knitting Float Patterns, now Patent No. 2,516,697 of July 25, 1950.

Theprimary object of this invention is to provide improvements in a knitting machine of a type having a needle cylinder in the periphery of which vertically movable pattern jacks are mounted and each of the pattern jacks having coinciding needle jacks and latch needles associated therewith, the pattern jacks being controlled by the usual pattern means such as the trick wheel,

These improvements are also employed in conjunction with an auxiliary yarn feed station disposed in advance of a main yarn feed station adjacent the needle circle and include means for selectively positioning the needles at four different elevations at the auxiliary yarn feed station, namely, a lower elevation, first and second intermediate elevations, and a higher elevation and providing other means for either lowering or elevating the needles to a lower or an upper elevation, after moving past the auxiliary yarn feed station and upon passing the main yarn feed station, so as to selectively take the yarn from the auxiliary yarn feed station as well as to selectively take the yarn from the main yarn feed station while, at other times, movingother of the needles to such an elevation as to cause the needles to pass above the stitch cams retaining the previous loops thereon. This makes possible, in one instance, the taking of the yarn from the first yarn feed station but not taking the yarn from the second yarn feed station and thus knitting the yarn from only the first yarn feed station, which is the hereinbefore described auxiliary yarn feed station. This also makes possible in a second instance, the taking of the yarn from both of the yarn feed stations and knitting both of the yarns simultaneously and, in a third instance, this makes possible the taking of the yarn from only the second or main yarn feed station thus resulting in only the yarn from the main yarn feed station being knitted into the fabric.

It is another object of this invention to provide a fabric structure wherein two or more different colors of yarn may be knitted in the forming of patterns of a type wherein the suture formed by the juncture of two colors of yarn extends at an angle relative to the plane of the wales and the courses being knitted and wherein, for example, a first needle will take both colors of yarn, knitting the two colors simultaneously while another 2,726,525, Patented Dec. 13, 1955 needle disposed on each side of the first needle may fail to take the yarn according to a desired pattern for a predetermined number of courses, the yarns being floated between the first needle and the needles disposed adjacent remote sides of the needle disposed to each side of the first needle. The needle disposed each side of the first needle remains inactive, during the knitting of several courses, merely retaining the loops and all additional yarn thereon.

It is still another object of this invention to provide pattern controlled means for varying the number of steps the trick wheel or selector drum moves to complete a revolution and to vary the time at which a step in movement is imparted to the trick wheel relative to a predetermined point on the periphery of the needle cylinder, upon rotation thereof, so as to insure that a proper pat: terning may be transmitted from the selector drum to those pattern jacks whose butts which are responsive to the patterning on the trick wheel and normally disposed in the vertical plane of the needle cylinder at which the usual step in rotation is transmitted to the selector drum, may be positioned to one side of this point when these particular butts are to be acted upon through the conventional selector fingers associated with the selector drum. 1

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a Scott and Williams circular knitting machine and wherein many of the parts are shown schematically and showing parts of the present invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Figure 1 and showing the pattern jack control cams encircling the needle cylinder and showing the selector drum or trick wheel and associated parts but omitting those parts which are not pertinent to the present invention;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view taken through the trick wheel at the lower left hand portion of Figure 2 and at a point more closely adjacent the ratchet wheel than that shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged schematic sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 44 in Figure 1 and showing other pattern jack control cams not appearing in Figure 2, the lower circular bed or cam plate being shown indot-dash lines and the upper circular bed or cam plate being broken away for purposes of clarity;

Figure 5 is anenlarged fragmentary elevation showing a portion of the upper bed plate in cross section and showing two of the cams for controlling the pattern jacks and being taken substantially along the line 55 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation looking substantially along the line 66 in Figure 4 and showing a part of the control mechanism for the pattern jack control cams shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged top plan view, with parts in section, taken substantially along the line 7-7 in Figure 1 showing the needle control cams, which surround the needle cylinder, mounted on the upper bed plate;

Figure 8 is an enlarged elevation, with parts in section, looking substantially along the line 8-8 in Figure 7 and showing two of the stationary needle cams of the pres ent invention which are employed in lowering certain of the needles which may have been elevated to operating position adjacent the auxiliary yarn feed station;

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation looking substantially along the line 99 in Figure 7 and showinga pair'of'conventional alternately movable needle lowering and elevating cams;

Figure is an enlarged elevation, with parts in section, looking substantially along the line 1610 in Figure 1 and showing the cam means for rendering the means which transmit rotation to the selector drum inoperative during theknittingof the'top, heel, foot and toe portions of a stocking;

Figure-11 is an enlarged elevation, with parts in section; looking substantially along the line 11-11 in Figure 1 and showing the cam means for controlling a pushout cam and a pattern jack elevatingcam shown in Figures 4 and 5;

Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation, with parts in section, looking substantially along the line 12- 12 in Figure 2 and showing the Working ends of the selector'fingers and associated means for restricting their inward movement relative to the needle cylinder;

Figure 13 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 13--13 in'Figure' 12 and showing the upper group ofselector fingers in one position and the lower group of selected fingers in another position;

Figure 14 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation looking substantially along the line 14-14 in Figure 1 but showing only the rearmostportion of the knitting machine and also showing the sock horn and the associated lower bed plate in dash-dot lines;

Figure 15 is an enlarged elevation, with parts in section, looking substantially along the line 15-15 in Figure' 1 and showing the manner in which the auxiliary yarn feed fingers are mounted and the linkage connected thereto;

Figure 16 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 1616 in Figure 15;

Figure 17 is an enlarged elevation looking substantially along the line 1717 in Figure 1 but showing only the rear portions of the knitting machine and showing an improved mechanism for transmitting reciprocationto the pawl arm associated with the trick wheel in Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 18 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation, with parts in section, looking substantially along the lines 1818 in Figures 1 and 7 but showing the widening pick mechanism disposed above the plane of the structure shown in Figure 7;

Figure 19 isa fragmentary elevation looking substantially along the line 19-49 in Figure 9;

Figure 20 is an elevation, with parts in section, looking substantially along the line 20--20 in Figure'9 and also showing the structure at the opposite side of the cam block shown in'Figure' 19;

Figure 21 is an enlargedvertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 21-21 in Figure 17;

Figure 22 is a fragmentary top plan view of the'rear portion of the knitting machine looking'from apointimmediately abovethe lower bed plate 21 in Figure 1 and looking downatthe structure shown in Figures.14 and 17;

Figure 23 is a schematic development illustrating one arrangement of cam devices for operating theneedles, theneedle jacks and the pattern jacks, and looking at the inner surfaces of thecircularly arranged camdevices relative to the'needle cylinder;

Figure 24 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the butts'on thelselector bits'associated with the selector'drum ortrick wheel for producing an Argyle diamond type of-pattern such asthat shown in Figure 38;

Figure-25 is'an elevation looking at the right-'handend of Figure24;

Figure 26 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement-ofthebutts onthepattern jacksz of theneedle'cyL inder, this arrangementbeing incidental to producea pattern such as that shown in Figure 38 in cooperation with thearrangement of the butts on the selector drum as shown in Figure 24;

Figures 27, 28 and 29 are enlarged vertical sectional views of aportion-of the-needle cylinder and-are'taken at a point substantially along the line 27-27 in Figure 23 relative to the cam devices and also showing one of the pattern jacks and a corresponding auxiliary jack and a corresponding needle, the lower ends of the pattern jacks being shown in a difierent position relative to the needle cylinder in each of the Figures 27, 28 and 29;

Figures 30, 31 and 32 are enlarged vertical sectional views through a portion of theneedle cylinder, similar to Figures 27, 28 and 29. These'Figures 30, 31 and 32 are taken substantially along the line 3030 relative to the cam devices shown in Figure 23. Figures 30, 31 and 32 correspond to the Figures 27, 28 and 29,,respectively, and show the pattern jacks and associated parts'in a position they will have attained after having moved from the point at which Figures 27, 28 and 29 are taken to the point at which Figures 30, 31 and 32 are taken in Figure 23;

Figure 33 is a fragmentary elevation looking from the inside of the needle cylinder toward the'latch'ring and showing some of the needles in theneedle cylinder as they are passing adjacent the main and auxiliary yarn feed stations and wherein certain of the needles at the auxiliary yarn feed station are taking the yarn from the same while the yarn from the yarn feed finger at the main yarn feed'isbeing floated back of theneedles;

Figure 34 is-a view similar to Figure 33 but showing the needles as though the needle cylinder had rotated a partial revolution to where certain needles will pass above both of the yarn feed stations while certain other of the needles will take up the yarn from both of the yarn feed stations;

Figure 35 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 35-35 in Figure 34 and showing the manner in which the yarn is fed to the needles at the main yarn feed station;

Figure 36 is a fragmentary perspective view of the pattern jack elevating earns shown in the lower portion of Figure 23 with parts in section;

Figure 37 is a fragmentary perspective view looking at the outside of the cams shown in Figure 36;

Figure 38 is a-diagrammatic side elevation of a stocking showing one form of an Argyle diamond type of ornamental pattern-which may be produced with the present invention and which is the particular stocking for which the patterning is arranged throughout the machine as described in the course of this'specification;

Figures 39, 40' and-41 are diagrammatic side elevations of a stocking similar to Figure38'but showing other forms of ornamental patterns which may be knitted into the leg of a stocking with the present'apparatus;

Figure 42 is a greatly enlarged schematic elevation showing thestructure of 'the fabric at the point of a diamondancl being an area defined by dotted lines'indi cated by the arrow 42 in Figure 38;

Figure 43 is a diagram showing the upper ends of the needles in'the needle circle;

Figure 44 is a greatly enlarged schematic elevation of a portion of the knitted fabric produced with this machine and'showing the structureat the juncture of 'two adjacent triangular or diamond-shaped areas'of'the' knitted fabric, this area being defined by dotted lines indicated by the arrow 44 in Figure 38.

Referring more specifically tothe drawings, the knitting machine generally comprises a main base or frame 10' which supports an upstanding housing 11 and a vertically disposed sock horn 12, there beingconventional gearing. not shown, disposed within the housing ll'to which motion is imparted from pulleys 13 which are suitably driven by means not shown. The conventional gearing disposed within the housing 11 is clearly shown in the-patent to R. W. Scott, No. 1,152,850 of September 7, 1913', and a further description of this gearing is deemedunnecessary. The knitting machine also has a conventionalneedle 

